E19: Transparency Ethics

A group of professionals engaged in a business discussion around a table in a Lagos office.

Course Overview

CE Hours

3 CE Credits

Course Description

Transparency Ethics examines the ethical principles of openness, accountability, and integrity in managerial and organizational settings. This course defines managerial transparency and explores the limits of secrecy, the role of selflessness and objectivity in fostering open management, the nature of public corruption including bribery and fraud, and the mechanisms that limit corrupt practices. Learners will gain the skills to make basic ethical decisions on managerial matters involving transparency and corruption, and to apply higher ethical standards that go beyond minimum legal requirements.

Course Learning Objectives

At the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  1. Define transparency and managerial transparency and explain their importance in organizational and public life
  2. Describe the limits of secrecy in ethical management and explain when withholding information becomes unethical
  3. Explain how openness and selflessness foster transparency in managerial decision-making
  4. Describe the nature of accountability and identify to whom managers and officials are accountable
  5. Define public corruption and distinguish between the misuse and abuse of power
  6. Identify forms of corruption including bribery, fraud, and inappropriate financial and interpersonal transactions
  7. Explain how objectivity and merit-based decision-making limit corruption in organizations
  8. Describe how free participation within organizations serves as a safeguard against corrupt practices

Course Format and Faculty

Course Format:

Online linked resources and lectures available anytime, 24/7. Includes one multiple-choice exam taken at the end of the course. A passing grade of 75% is required. Upon passing, learners may print their certificate immediately.

Course Developers and Instructors:

R. Klimes, PhD, MPH (Johns Hopkins University) is a scholar and author in health-related research, health behaviors, ethics, end-of-life care, and overall wellness. He has written numerous research reports and books and has held academic and leadership roles in higher education and public health internationally.

Course Time:

Approximately 3 hours for online study, test taking, course evaluation feedback, and certificate printing.